Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I think I’ve eaten at PF Chang’s maybe one time in my 30+ years. We didn’t even have one in RI until a year or two ago, though I still haven’t actually been to that location since it’s opened. But when I lived in Nashville forever ago there was a PF Chang’s down the street from the law school and my apartment, and that’s the one I visited. To be honest, I remember almost nothing about my experience at the restaurant – not who I was with, what I tried or what I thought of the food. A rousing endorsement, huh? 🙂

Am I missing out? Do I need to go again?

I didn’t know it at the time but apparently the lettuce wraps at PF Chang’s are quite popular – there are a million and one copycat recipes out there! When we were going through our big ground chicken phase a few months ago, I decided to see what all the hype was about and give one of them a try.

These lettuce wraps are the very definition of quick and easy weeknight meal. It takes maybe 10 minutes tops to throw them together, and, summer bonus – you don’t even have to turn on your oven to do it! The filling is fairly low-cal and wrapped in cool, crisp lettuce leaves, makes for a light and fresh summer dinner idea. It even reheats well so you can make it ahead of time if necessary. What I’m trying to say is, you really should make them 🙂

I wasn’t sure if Shane would be a fan – this combination of ingredients is a little outside of his comfort zone, but I served the chicken filling over rice for him and he loved the recipe just as much as I did. Obviously I have no idea how these lettuce wraps compare to PF Chang’s but they’ve definitely earned a place in our dinner rotation!

Set a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is browned and cooked through. In the last minute or two of cooking, add the garlic and ginger to the pan, stirring often until fragrant. Season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the sesame oil, soy sauce, water, honey, peanut butter, rice wine vinegar, and chili garlic sauce to make the sauce. Microwave the sauce for 20 seconds, then stir until smooth. Pour the sauce into the skillet, stirring to incorporate with the chicken/onion mixture. Stir in the scallions, and cook for just a minute or two to soften slightly and warm through. Taste and season with additional salt and/or pepper if necessary. Serve with cold lettuce leaves.

This looks like a great addition to our summer food rotation as well! Filling and lighter for the summer. Will definitely have to add peanuts though, I always keep it as a staple for any Asian dishes I make ha ha thanks for sharing.

This looks like a great addition to our summer food rotation as well! Filling and lighter for the summer. Will definitely have to add peanuts though, I always keep it as a staple for any Asian dishes I make ha ha thanks for sharing.

Ohhh, I’m drooling just looking at pics of these and remembering how good they are. I’d say this meal is in my top 20 favorites. In fact, I’m making my meal plan for the week and I think these just jumped on it. 🙂

Not a huge PF Changs fan, save for the lettuce wraps. Completely overpriced for mediocre food. My husband said he would rather me cook their frozen dishes, found at grocery stores than ever eat there again, but if I could find a lettuce wrap recipe he would be happy. Thanks for posting this, it looks so refreshing.

I do love their lettuce wraps! I have only been there twice though 🙂 My husband is not a fan, if he wants Chinese food it was a hole in the wall place run by people who barely speak English. He things PF Changs is way over priced, so we don’t go. But I am all for making these at home!